A study has shown that tall men are more likely to divorce and remarry, taking
younger second wives, and thus having more children. Height is a more
significant predictor of this than other status indicators, perhaps because
in the ancestral environment it was a useful indicator of fitness, and as
such, sexual selection may ensure that humanity keeps getting taller.

A BBC piece on the recent Norwegian RFC1149 test, in which Internet traffic
was carried by carrier pigeon. The live test has resulted in some ideas for
speeding up CPIP (Carrier Pigeon IP), such as better error-correction
techniques. Wonder whether any new RFCs will come of it.

Prison policy imitates Ed Anger column:
Arizona prison officials are looking for a psychiatrist to
treat a
paranoid schizophrenic death row inmate, restoring his mental
competence so that he may be executed. Unfortunately for them, all
psychiatrists contacted have thus declined, because of this thing called
the Hippocratic Oath.

After being voted off the UN Human Rights Commission and Narcotics Control
Board, the US throws a hissy fit and threatens to stop paying its dues. And then,
reminded that they haven't paid their dues for years, amends this to a threat
to forget about paying overdue UN dues, of which it was going to generously
pay half. Such are the privileges of being the World's Leading Nation.

Under Bush, U.S.
to militarise space; which may see the US Air Force expand its mission to
space-based combat, or the creation of a US Space Force. Nuclear-armed
orbital battle stations and jumbo cosmospheres, here we come.

(Mind you, it's possible that the militarisation of space may be seen by
future historians as the start of humanity seriously venturing off the surface
of Earth. Sad fact is, there's nothing like war or inter-tribal conflict to motivate human endeavour. Perhaps it's the age-old
club-the-rival-caveman's-brains-in instinct.)

Well, I absconded from work a bit early this evening and went down to
the Punters to see some bands, for the first time in a while. The first
band was Radius, which was sort of laid-back guitar ambience (sort of like
Mogwai or Art Of Fighting) with the occasional female vocals, and sporadic
forays into indie-pop territory. Then was a rawk band named Dead Sorority,
which didn't do that much for me. Finally, Sir came on and played a set of
their trademark kind of hypnagogic cabaret. (sort of like trip-hop only
slower and without the breakbeats, or something like that), including a new
song and an unreleased number. I chatted with Jesse and Liz of Sir after
the show, and they plan to release an EP/single in the not-too-distant
future, which is something to look forward to.